Expanded metal machine



N. E. CLARK.

EXPANDED METAL MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 11. 1911.

Patented Sept. 2, 1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1- N. E CLARK. A

EXPANDED METAL MACHINE.

APPLICATION HLED APR. H. I917.

Patented Sgpt. 2, 1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N. E. CLARK.

EXPANDED METAL MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. I1. 19!].

Patented Sept. 2, 1919.

N. E. CLARK.

DE 0 METAL MACHINE.

ION FILED APR. l 1 I91 1.

EXPAN APPLICAT Patented Sept. 2, 1919.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

NORRIS ELMORE CLARK, F PLAINVILLE, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO ROBERT S.

- ALLYN, TRUSTEE, OF NEW YPRK, N. Y.

EXPANDED-METAL MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedSept. 2, 1919.

Application filed April 11. 1917. Serial No. 161,126.

To all *ufiwmit may concern Be it known that I, NORRIS ELMORE I CLARK, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Plainville, Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Ex- Certain features of the method are covered by my Patent ill-1,224,877.

Briefly considered the invention contemplates longitudinal curved guides and feed rolls for the broad unslitted strips, longitudinal curved alternating guides and crimple rolls for the narrow unslitted strips between the broad unslitted strips. At least one roll of each pair of rolls is driven intermittently with the press so as to feed the stock and expand it simultaneously. All of the rolls and guides are carried by a vertically adjustable table so that their position can be varied with the height of the slitting tools. The alternate guides are preferably adjustable at one end with the crimple rolls which transversely corrugate .the narrow un-slitted strips.

Figure 1, is a side View of mechanism embodying the improvements of my invention showing the housing, the gear and chain drive and their relation to the slitting tools.

Fig. 2, shows a fragment of slitted stock which is to be acted upon by the expanding mechanism.

Fig. 3, is a longitudinal vertical sectional view' showing the expanding mechanism per se and its relation to the slitting tools.

Fig. 4, is a diagrammatic view showing the relative course of the un-slitted strips and rows of bonds.

Fig. 5, shows one pair of the rolls for feeding the broad un-slitted strips and in section shows the longitudinal guides on the plane of the line 55 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6, is a transverse sectional view on the plane of the line 6-6 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 7, is a fragmentary view showing the adjustable support for the upper crimple roll and the alternate guides.

Figs. 8 and 9 are enlarged detail views of fragments of the erimple rolls or disks.

Fig. 10, is a side view showing the attachment for the press for supporting the roll and guide housings.

Fig. 11, is a vertical projection of the same at right angles to F 1g. 6.

Fig. 12, is a plan view and section of the same on the plane of the line 12--12 of Fi 10.

he press bed 11 supports the lower slitting die holder 12 carrying the cutters 13. The upper or punch holder 14 carries the upper cutters 15 and is intermittently reciprocated by any suitable press mechanism so as to slit the stock as shown in Fig. 2, leaving broad unslitted stri s 1616, intermediate narrow unslitted strips 17 and strands such as 18 and 19 connected together at intervals by bonds 2020. The stock is fed intermittently by the introductory feed rolls 21, 21 which may be geared together in the usual manner and driven for instance from the usual ratchet and gear, the latter being indicated by the pitch circle 22 which meshes with the gear on the shaft of the lower feed roll whose pitch circle is indicated at 23. The introductory feed rolls may form shallow beads such as 24 so as to facilitate the' guiding and feeding of the stock through the slitting tools.

A curved guide bar 26 serves to support each broad unslitted strip 16 as it comes from between the slitting tools. A curved cover guide 27 assists in holding a broad unslitted strip on the correspondin lower guide 26. The marginal guides may e provided with beads and grooves as shown at 28 in Fig. 6 for the beads 24 in the stock. Feed rolls are provided for moving the broad unslitted strips longitudinally of the guides 26 and 27. These feed rolls are preferably arranged in pairs having shafts 30, 31, 32 and 33 and feed disks such as 34 and 35, 36 and 37. The marginal disks may be beaded and grooved as shown at 38in Fig. 5. Each guide preferably consists of two longitudinal plates such as 39 with filler pieces such as 40 between them. The lower guides 26 extend from the upper faces of the die cutters clear through to the delivery end passing by the sides of the feed disks 34 and 36. The fillers 40 of course are omitted at the feed disks. The cover guides 27 are constructed in 'a'similar manner but extend only from the edge of the punch holder 14. The lower guides are carried by cross bars 41 41' and -12 and the upper guides are carried by cross bars 43 and 44. j

The curved interior guides 46 extend from a line just'in advance of and above the die cutters and between the pairs of broad strip guides and feed disks so as to direct the narrow unslitted strips 17 and thus in effect corrugate the slitted stock and form meshwork as it is fed along as set forth in my former patents. The lower portion of each alternate guide is pivotally supported at T7 and its upper end is pivotally carried by a bracket 48 on a cross bar 49. An intermediate portion may be guided by a member 50. Although the expanding action is a natural and very gradual one as the stock is fed alon under certain circumstances there is a tendency of the inter-ribs or narrow slitted strips 17 to buckle. TlnsI overcome by the .employment of what may be termed erimplc disks or rolls such as 51 and 52 on the shafts 53 and 5t respectively. These disks are provided with intern'ieshing teeth which form transverse corrugations in the inter-ribs after the expansion is completed and just bc fore the stock is delivered. These teeth may be arched in cross section as shown in Fig. 9. so as to give atransverse arch to the corrugations formed in the inter-rib. The bearing 57 for the upper crimple roll shaft preferably has an extension arm 58 which carries the cross bar 49 so that the adjustment of the uppercrimple rolls is accomplished simultaneously with the adjustment of the outer ends ofthe alternate guide members.

The housings for the shafts are preferably formed in two parts 0 and 61 secured together by bolts such as 62. 63, 6-1 and 65. The lower guides and rolls are allcarried by. the lower' part 60 of the housing andv the upper alternate guiding members and rolls are. all carried by the upper part of the housing 61, the line of ,Separation between the 1 two parts of the housing being such as to permit all of the upper rolls and guides to be removed as a unit for the purpose of access to the lower parts and the stock in case of accident. As there'is no occasion for adjusting the shafts 30 and 32 their bearings are fixed. The upper shafts 31 and however, may be adjustable in the usual manner. As before mentioned the upper ends of the alternate members are adjustable so as to modify the expansion when desired and the upper crimple rolls are adjustablewith them. The lower crimple rolls are also adjustable to and from the upper crimple rolls so as to permit variation in the transverse corrugating action. r

-\s before-mentioned the parts are particularly.intended as an attachment for a press. The supporting member 66 is secured to the outer face by bolts such as 67 and'provided with an extension 68which rests on the press bed. A table (39 is guided bv gibs T0 and adapted to be clamped by disks as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig.

1. The support 66 carries a stud '77 for a gear whose pitch circle is indicated at 78 and i which meshes with the main gear whose pitch circle is indicated at 22. A sprocket.

whose itch circle is indicated at 79 is mounted pitch circle is indicated at 78 and a drive chain indicated at 80 transmits power to a sprocket on shaft 32 whose pitch circle is indicated at 81. This shaft also carries sprockets whosepitch circles are indicated on the stud with the gear whose.

at 8:2 for chains indicated at 83 and at 8-1 for drivin the shafts 53 and 30. The upper rolls may e driven from the lower rolls in the usual manner by gears such as shown at 85 and 86 in Fig. ,5.

It will be obvious that the material expanded as herein. set forth may be subsequently treated so as to, form. the broad unslitted strips into deep ribs either in a separate machine or m a continuous process a as shown in my Patent #1,224,87 7. I wish it also understood that the slitting press may be either a vertically acting press. as shown in my Patent #1,.224,523 or it may be inclined as set forth in my Patent. #1224577.

I claim: 1. In an expanded metal machine, the combination with a press and slitting cutters, of housings, feed disks and upwardly iii curved expanding guides carried by said housings and means for vertically ad usting the housings, disks and guides as a unit relative to said cutters.

2. In an expanded metal machine, a press attachment comprising a support, a table.

vertically adjustable thereon and feed disks and upwardly curved expanding guides carried by said table and adjustable therewith. 3. In an expanded metal machine, the combination with the slitting cutters of a stationary stud, a driving sprocket carried thereby, side housings. feed disks and upwardly curved expanding guides carried by said housings, said disks being driven from said sprocket and means for vertically adjusting said disks and guides relative to said stud and sprocket.

4. In an expanded metal machine, the combination ot'slitting cutters with long curved expanding guides arranged in two sets. one set of said guides extending from adjacent the edge of the lower cutters and the other set of guides lmviugbearing faces starting from a plane above said cutters and extending down between the guides of the other set and disks for feeding the stock along said guides.

7). In an expanded metal machine. the combination of two sets of stationary long curved expandingguides. the bearing faces of one set being arranged in one curved plane. the guides of the other set being arranged between the guides of the first set and having their bearing faces arranged in another curved plane substantially tangential to the first plane at the entrance end and in a plane substantially parallel to the first plane but spaced apart therefrom at the delivery end and means for feeding the partially slitted stock between the. said guides. i. In an expanded metal machine, the combination of two sets of stationary long curved expanding guides. the bearing faces of one set being arranged in one curved plane. the guides of the other set being arranged between the guides of the first set and having their hearing faces arranged in another curved plane substantially tangential to the first plane at the entrance end and in a plane substantially parallel to the first plane but spaced apart therefrom at the delivery end and means for crim ing the narrow nnslitted strips of the stoc as they leave the ends of the intermediate guides.

i'. In an expanded metal .machine, the combination of two sets of stationary long curved expanding guides, the bearing faces of one set being arranged in one curved plane. the guides of the other set being arranged between the guides of the first set and having their bearing faces arranged in another curved plane substantially tangential to the first plane at the entrance end and in a plane substantially parallel to the first plane but spaced apart therefrom at the delivery end. means for feeding the partially slittcd stock between the said guides, feed disks arranged to move the unslitted strips of the fabric along the curved guides of the first set and feed disks for drawing the intermediate strips along the curved guides of the other set.

8. In an expanded metal machine, two

.Fets of loiig curved expanding guides arranged in substantially one lane at one end and havii'ig alternate gui es with their hearing faces in a plane spaced apart from each other at the other end, and crimple rolls having their bearing faces in line with the bearing faces of the intermediate guides.

9. In an expanded metal machine, two sets of long curved expanding guides arranged in substantially one plane at one end and having alternate guides with their hearing faces in a plane spaced apart from each other at the other end, crimple rolls having their hearing faces in line with the bearing faces of the intermediate guides and means for simultaneously adjusting the crimple rolls and the intermediate guides connected therewith.

l(). In an expanded metal machine, two sets of long curved expanding guides. transverse shafts. crimple rolls carried by said shafts at the ends of the alternate guides. supports for the ends of the intermediate guides carried by said shafts and adjustable therewith.

11. In an expanded metal machine. two sets of long upwardly curved expanding guides. the guides of one set being formed of two side bars and feed disks arranged between said side bars for moving the unslitted strips along said side bars.

1:3. In an expanded metal machine. housings formed in' two parts, longitudinally extending eurvedguide bars carried by the lower parts of said housings. longitudinally extending curved guide bars alternating with the other guide bars and carried by theupper parts of said housings. upper and lower sets of feed disks carried respectively by the upper and lower )arts of the housings and means for detachab y securing the upper and lower parts of the housings together 13. In an expanded metal machine. longitudinally extending curved up )er and lower rib guides, upper and lower eed disks for feeding rib stock along said guides, longitudinally curved intermediate guides, housings for supporting said members, said llOllS- ings being formed in two parts, the lower parts carrying all of the lower guides and disks and the upper parts carrying all of the upper guides and disks and means for detachably securing said upper parts to said lower arts.

14. u an expanded metal machine, curved guides forthe rib stock, curved aides alternating therewith and havlng t en bearing surfaces in substantially t e same plane with the bearing faces of the first mentioned guides at the entrance end and a plane spaced apart therefrom at the delivery: end and crimple rolls in lme with the delivery ends of said intermediate guides.

15. In an expanded metal machine, curved guides for the rib stock, curved guides alternating therewith and having their bearing surfaces in substantially the same lane with the bearing faces of the first mentioned guides at the entrance and and in a. plane spaced apart therefrom at the delivery end,

apart from each other at the 18. In an expanded metal machine, the

crimple rolls in line with the delivery ends of said intermediate guides and means for simultanwusly adjustin said intermediate guides and said crimp'le rolls.

16 In an expanded metal machine, a set of relatively stationary long curved guides for the rib stock of a partially slitted sheet,

long curved guides alternating therewith, means for pivotally, supporting said latter guides at one end and means for adjusting the opposite ends of said latter guides between the first mentioned guides.

17. In an expanded metal machine, two pairsof sets of feed disks, long curved rib guide-shextending between said disks and long; curved guides alternating with said first mentioned curved guides and havin their opposite ends extending beyond Stllt feed disks, the bearing faces of all ofsaid guidesbeing-in a close] adjacent plane at the entrance end and tie bearing faces of the two sets of guides being in )lanes spaced delivery ends.

combination of slitting cutters together with means for feeding the stock to said cutters, upper and lower sets of spaced disks for feeding the marginal and interior unslitted strips in a plane above said cutters and away therefrom and upwardly curved guides leading therefrom arranged in two sets, the bearing faces of the two sets being in planes spaced apart from each other at the delivery end.

19. In an expanded metal machine, two sets of curved expanding guides and crimple rolls having their bearing faces arranged in panding members between the curved guides.

21. In an expanded metal machine, the combination with cutters for slitting p01: tions of the stock and leaving marginal and intermediate unslitted strips of upwardly curving guides for directing the unslitted strips upward out of theplane of the cutters, means for engagin the unslitted stri )s to feed the stock upwart ly along said guides and upwardly curved expanding members arranged between said guides for opening the meshwork.

22 In an expanded metal machine, the

combination of upper and lower cutters for slitting sections of the stock and leaving unslitted strips spaced apart, of an attachment for expandin the slitted portions of the stock comprising, curved guides for the unslitted strips with their hearing faces arranged to direct the unslitted strips in a. curved plane, means for feeding the stock, and curved expanding members arranged between the curved guides. I

NORRIS ELMORE CLARK. 

